September, 17 2018, 12:00am EDT
Bipartisan Letter Urges President Trump to Consult With Congress on Military Action in Syria
WASHINGTON
Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and her colleagues sent a bipartisan letter to President Trump urging him to consult with Congress before taking any additional military actions in Syria. The letter, which Congresswoman Lee organized with her colleagues Congressman Justin Amash (R-MI), Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), and Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY), also calls on President Trump to recommit to finding a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Syria.
"We are deeply concerned by recent reports indicating that your administration is preparing to again strike Syria in the event of another chemical weapons attack," wrote the members. "The Constitution gives the power to declare war to the U.S. Congress and only permits the President to act in self-defense, not simply to further perceived U.S. interests."
The letter coincides with the 17th anniversary of the passage of the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF). Since 2001, the AUMF has been used at least 41 times in 19 countries around the world, according to an unclassified Congressional Research Service Report.
"Previous U.S. military action in response to the April 2017 and 2018 chemical weapons attacks has not contributed to ending the bloodshed in Syria," the letter continues. "Only a political and diplomatic solution can end the war and potentially avoid additional massive casualties."
The letter was signed by 48 members of Congress, including 44 Democrats and 4 Republicans. The full text of the letter is available here.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee, a Democrat, represents the 13th District in California.
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